Page 74 of Devlin

"You got her, but can you keep her? That's the question."

Devlin inwardly groaned at Frank's words, and he could see worry flash through Hannah's eyes as well, but their fathers were not paying them any attention.

"I'll keep her, because she's mine," Graham said, a fiercetone in his voice. "I'm her husband. She loves me."

"She does love you," Frank agreed. "And she needs you. That's all I was trying to tell you, Graham, but you couldn't hear me. You were blinded by unnecessary anger and way too much ego. I'm not your enemy; you are. You need to get out of your own way. And I say that because I know what it feels like to lose the woman you love because youcan't do that. Now, if you want to fire me again for trying to help you, go ahead."

Graham gave Frank a hard stare and then turned away, moving up the ramp at a brisk pace, his back poker-stiff, his head held high in the air.

"Sorry, Devlin, I had to speak the truth," Frank said. "If you want to break our new agreement—"

"I don't," he interrupted. "I told you before, I'm incharge of the Boatworks. The problems you and my father have are your own."

"Fair enough. I'll see you both at the party."

"And then there were two," Hannah said, as Frank walked away.

He gazed into her eyes, fighting off a powerful aching urge to pull her into his arms and never let her go. But she wasn't his to keep.

And what the hell was he going to do come Monday when she was gone for good?

"You look beautiful," he murmured. "A little sunburned."

She put a hand to her pink cheeks. "I do feel warm." Her lips curved into a wistful smile. "But that tends to happen when you're around."

"I know the feeling." He paused. "You also look happy. I'm glad your father decided to race with you."

"Me, too. Whatever happens tomorrow, it'sall good. Not that I don't want to win. But I know the odds are against us."

"The race is always unpredictable. You can plan and practice, try to anticipate every scenario, but when you're racing, it's all about split-second decisions, feeling the rhythm of the boat, the turn of the wind, the movements of your racing partner. You have to be willing to leave it all on the ocean, risk everythingfor the win. And I know you're capable of doing that. So is Frank."

"How do you know that about me? It's not like I've lived an adventurous, pushing-the-envelope kind of life. I haven't sailed around the world like you."

"No. But you put your life on hold to rush to your father's side. You had the courage to challenge my father, and not many people stand up to Graham Blackthorne."

"I did do that, but I think it was you standing up that made the difference."

"I saw my actions through your eyes, and I didn't like them, Hannah."

She gave him a thoughtful look. "You never said that before."

"I should have rehired Frank the second after my father fired him. I'm sorry I didn't."

"You were in a difficult position. Family is complicated. How areyou and your dad getting along in terms of racing?"

"Not bad, actually. His skills are coming back, and we haven't been arguing at all. What about you?"

"We're getting along better than ever. We had a breakthrough in our relationship the past few weeks. I think my dad losing his job actually made him rethink his entire life, all the decisions he made in the past, what he wants forthe future. Sometimes we all need a big shove out the door to actually go into the world and see what we might be missing."

"That's true." He might need that shove, too. He'd gotten into a well-worn and way-too-comfortable rut, but Hannah coming back to King Harbor had turned his life upside down, made him think that maybe he wanted more than what he had.

But how much more? And did he have the courage to put his heart on the line again?

"I guess I should go," she said, a reluctant note in her voice. "The cocktail party will be starting soon. I assume you're going."

"I always have," he muttered, but going to that party was actually the last thing he wanted to do.

"I'm sure it's expected since the Blackthornes are one of the race sponsors."

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